UPM: Improvement and Inspiration through the Biofore Site™

 

UPM Raflatac’s (Helsinki, Finland) Biofore Site™ concept engages factory employees and fosters a culture of sustainability by setting factory-specific development goals aimed at contributing toward UPM’s 2030 responsibility targets.

For many years, UPM Raflatac factories have operated third-party certified environmental management systems in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard to ensure continual environmental performance improvement. The Biofore Site concept builds on this foundation and expands it to include also economic and social aspects.

Since the piloting in 2017, each factory has created a unique path to improve their scorecard performance. From installing LED lighting on the factory buildings to installing electric car-charging stations, UPM Raflatac factory teams continue to find new and exciting ways to further concept. A multi-parameter Biofore Site scorecard, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, is used to monitor each factory’s progress.

As a company-wide sustainability initiative, the Biofore Site concept is part of everyday work at UPM Raflatac. Employees are encouraged to suggest improvement ideas on how to improve sustainability performance and how to better engage with local communities. The concept addresses sustainability holistically by measuring leadership, employee engagement, resource consumption, waste generation, community involvement, and employee safety.

The Biofore Site concept also supports business growth and opens doors for sales. The concept resonates with brand owners and customers who are ever more conscious of consumers’ environmental and sustainability awareness. The Biofore Site concept, quantified using the scorecard, provides tangible evidence for brand owners seeking to verify high performance in responsible sourcing and low risk in their supply chains.

By inspiring employees to come up with pioneering ideas and quantifying the results of these ideas in scorecards, UPM Raflatac aims to demonstrate that its factories are making a positive impact in the packaging industry and local communities, and in so doing, strengthen its market position by being the partner of choice for its stakeholders.